Traveling lawn sprinkler



1955 w. D. EGLY' mm. 2,770,495

TRAVELING LAWN SPRINKLER Filed cm. 8. 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WILLIAM 5 Lil l9 D. EGLY ETAI... 2,770,495

TRAVELING LAWN SPRINKLER Unit States atent TRAVELING LAWN SPRINKLER William D. Egly, South Bend, and Columbus W. Harris, Elkhart, Ind; said Harris assignor to said Egly Application October 8, 1948, Serial No. 53,492

22 Claims. (Cl. 299-50) This invention relates to improvements in traveling lawn sprinklers, and particularly to sprinklers including a fluid reaction motor as a part thereof, which motor is adapted to propel the sprinkler along a predetermined path to permit the progressive watering of a lawn along said path without requiring attention.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a sprinkler of this type which is simple and inexpensive in construction, sturdy, and easy to connect for guided operation along a predetermined path.

A further object is to provide a sprinkler of this type having novel propulsion means.

A further object is to provide a sprinkler of this character with power actuated rotatable propulsion means adapted to grip a hose to propel the sprinkler, which propulsion means are readily engageable with and releasable from the hose.

A further object is to provide a device of this character with novel ground-engaging means permitting turning of the sprinkler on a short radius.

A further object is to provide a sprinkler which is supported upon swivel foot members, each of curved form to provide tangential engagement with the ground, the body of the sprinkler being shiftable freely relative to said foot members in a circular movement of small radius to facilitate turning of the sprinkler in its movement.

Other objects will be apparent from the following specification.

in the drawing:

Fig. l is an end view of the sprinkler.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the sprinkler.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3. V

Fig. 5 is a face view of a spring actuator associated with the device.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view with parts shown in section, illustrating the swivel mounting of the foot members upon the body of the device.

Referring to the drawing which illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 10 designates a frame or housing having an elongated horizontal bottom portion 12, a reduced neck portion 14 projecting thereabove, and an elongated vertical housing portion 16. A horizontal plate portion 13 projects forwardly from the bottom .housing part 12, and a gear housing projects forwardly from the upper end of the part 16 and preferably comprises a bottom part 20, and upwardly projecting side walls 22, said gear casing being open at its top and mounting a cover plate 24 secured thereto in any suitable manner.

housing 30. A coupling 32 is rotatably mounted upon i the outer end of the valve housing 30 and is adapted ice for screw-threaded connection with a fitting mounted upon the end of a flexible garden hose or other supply conduit 34. The valve 30 will be in the nature of a shutoff valve operable to stop the operation of the sprinkler but forms no part of this invention. The inner end of the passage 26 communicates with a vertical passage 36 open at the upper face of the housing 12 at one side of the neck 14.

The vertical or upright portion 16 of the housing has a vertical bore 38 therethrough in axial alignment with the bore 36 and open at its lower and its upper end, the upper end extending through a neck projection 40 which is internally screw-threaded. The top surface of the body part 12 is socketed at 42 and the lower end of a vertical tubular member 44 bears upon said socket. This tubular member is of a diameter less than the socket 42 and less than the bore 38 of the housing part 16 through which it extends. At its upper end, projecting and spaced above the housing part 16, the tube 44 is externally screw-threaded to receive a head 46 having a transverse internally screw-threaded bore 48 therein adapted to mount conduits 50 which project radially from said head and are bent at 52 at their outer ends. Apertured sprinkler heads 54 are mounted on the bent end portions 52, said bent end portions preferably extending diagonally upwardly in opposite directions so that the end faces of the caps in which the discharge apertures 56 are formed face oppositely and provide a cooperative fluid reactance operation to cause rotation of the conduits 50, the head 46 and the tube 44 incident to the passage of water for discharge at said sprinkler heads 56. The exterior surface of the tube 44 has worm teeth 58 out therein at the portion thereof adjacent to the gear housing 20, 22. A shoulder 60 is provided on the exterior of the tube between the threaded portion 58 thereof and a reduced upper portion thereof. A circumferential groove 62 is formed in the exterior surface of the tube 44 at the portion thereof located between the housing parts 12 and 16.

A sleeve 64 encircles the lower end of the tube 44 seating within the socket 42 at its lower end and providing a journal for the lower end of the tube. A bearing sleeve 66 fits within the bore 38 of the housing part 16 and fits freely around the tube 44 whereby said tube may rotate within said sleeve. At its lower end the sleeve 66 is provided with a circumferential series of apertures 68 which register with the groove 62 of said tube. The upper end of the sleeve 66 is cut away at 70 for purposes to be mentioned hereinafter. A thrust bearing 72 bears against the shoulder 66 and against the upper end of the sleeve 66. A bushing 74 is screw-threaded in the neck 44) of the casing and presses against the thrust bearing 72, which in turn bears against the shoulder 60, whereby the tube 44 is held down with its bottom end in engagement with the socket 42.

A horizontal shaft is journaled at its opposite ends in a suitable bearing 32 carried by the housing part 16 and a bearing 84 carried by the end wall 22 of the gear housing 20, 22. At least the bearing 84 will have a screw-threaded fit with the housing to facilitate the removal thereof for assembly and disassembly of the parts. The shaft 80 extends horizontally with a part thereof positioned within an enlarged bore portion 86 of the housing 16, and this part mounts a worm gear 88. The cut-out 76 of the sleeve 66 accommodates the gear 83 and permits meshing thereof with the threads 58 upon the tube 44. The portion of the shaft 80 extending into the gear housing 20, 22 includes a worm portion 90 which meshes with a pair of gears 92 mounted upon the shafts 94 and 96 which are journaled in the bottom wall 20 of the gear, housing.

It will be observed that the gears of the device are substantially fully accessible by removal of the plate 24 and can readily be assembled and disassembled by removing the shaft 80 as is accommodated by the removable mounting of one of the bearings of said shaft as above described. At the same time, when the plate 24 is closed, the entire gear unit is sealed and may contain grease so that the parts are fully lubricated to reduce to a minimum the friction resulting from their operation.

The shaft 96 projects downwardly from the gear housing 20, 22and is journaled in the flange 18 of said housing. At its lower end the shaft 96 mounts a roller 93 provided with a circumferential groove 100 of arcuate cross-sectional shape. The roller 98 is fixedly mounted upon the shaft 96 in drive-transmitting relation thereto and is preferably formed of yielding material, such as rubber. The curvature of the groove 100 of the roller is preferably substantially similar to the curvature of the outer periphery of the hose 34. The shaft 94 mounts a spherical head l02-spaced above the housing flange 18. This head 102 fits within a socket 104 mounted upon the upper end of a stud shaft 106. The socket 104 is preferably provided with diametrically opposed longitudinal grooves 108 within which pins 110 projecting from the head 102 are free to move to constitute the sockets 102 and 104 a universal joint. The stud shaft 106 extends through a slot in the housing flange 18 parallel to common plane between the axes of the shafts 94 and 96. At its lower end this shaft 106 mounts a roller 112 similar to the roller 98 and provided with a circumferential hose-engaging groove 114 similar to the groove 100 of the roller 98. This roller 112 is fixed upon the shaft 106 in drive-transmitting relation thereto. At its bottom the shaft 106 mounts a projection 116.

One end wall of the gear casing mounts a headed projection 118 and upon this projection is secured one end of an elongated leaf spring 120 which depends from the gear housing and extends to a level below the roller 112. The lower end of this spring is bent at 122 and is connected with the projection 116 at the lower end of the stud shaft 106. The leaf spring is positioned by and extends through an aperture in a plate 124 carried by the bottom surface of the flange 18. The plate 124 is preferably of the construction best illustrated in Fig. 5, being provided with a slot 126 for passage of the leaf spring 120 therethrough and with a diagonally positioned elongated slot 128 intermediate its ends which fits freely around the stud shaft 106. The opposite end of the plate is provided with a circular aperture 130. Within this aperture 130 is mounted a disk 132 carried by the shaft 96 in eccentric relation. The disk 132 preferably has a projecting handle 134, The arrangement of the parts is such that when the handle 134 is actuated to shift the plate toward the shaft 96, the spring 120 is drawn inwardly and positions stud 106 as illustrated in Fig. l to cause an eifective gripping action between the rollers 98 and 112 with respect to the hose 34. When the handle 134 is swung in a direction to shift the plate 124 outwardly relative to the shaft 96, the spring 120 is moved to the left as viewed in Fig. l, pulling with it the stud shaft 106and the roller 112 and moving the latter clear,of the roller 98 and of the hose 34 so that the hose can easily be removed from gripped engagement by the rollers.

At four corners of the housing lugs 136 are formed integrally therewith. These lugs are preferably formed at the vertical level of the gear housing. In each lug is fixedly mounteda leg member. Each leg member includes a vertical upper portion 138 secured to the lug 136, a laterally outwardly projecting intermediate porh tion 140, and a depending terminal portion 142. The depending terminal portion 142 is preferably provided with an axial socket 144. at its end, which socket is interrupted intermediate its endsby a. circumferential groove146. The leg units l38 -l42gare rigidly mount- 4 ed, are formed of rigid bar stock, and mount foot portions 143, also formed of rigid bar stock and preferably of circular cross-section. The upper ends of the foot members 148 are provided with a reduced neck portion 150 adapted to seat in the socket 144 of the leg member, and each neck portion 150 is circumferentially grooved to cooperate with the groove 146 of the socket to receive a split ring 152 which serves to anchor the neck 150 of the foot member within the socket of the leg member. Each of the foot members is curved through at least 90 degrees and preferably a greater extent so that it is adapted for tangential bearing engagement with the ground. The foot members project below the level of the rollers 93 and 112 and the entire weight of the sprinkler is supported thereon. The neck portion 150 with its swivel fit within the socket 144 provides a swivel mounting of each of the foot portions as will be evident.

in the operation of the device, water under pressure supplied from the hose 34 passes through the valve 30 and the passages 26 and 36 for entry into the tube 44. From this tube it is discharged through the head 46 into the sprinkler arms as for exhaust through the sprinkler heads The discharge of the water from the sprinkler heads 56 creates a fluid reaction which serves to rotate the sprinkler arms 50, the head 46 and the tube 44. This rotation is transmitted through the worm teeth 50 to the worm gear upon the shaft and in turn is trans mitted from that shaft through the worm thereon to the gears 92. These gears rotate oppositely and serve to drive the shaft 96 mounting the roller 98, and the shaft 94 mounting the stud 106 and the roller 112, in opposite directions and in a manner such that when the hose 34 is gripped between the rollers, the rollers will be caused to travel lengthwise upon the hose. This causes the sprinkler to be moved bodily, the same riding upon the curved feet 148 which slide upon the ground. Any leakage which occurs between the housing portion 12 and the lower end of the tube 44 is exhausted in the space between the housing portions 12 and 16 and will flow through the socket and around the tube and its bottom sleeve 44. If, however, any of that leakage should pass between the tube 44 and its encircling sleeves 64 and 66, it will enter the groove 62 in the tube and be exhausted through the apertures 68 in the sleeve 66 which communicate with that groove. In this way there is no possibility that leakage of water into the gear housing will occur.

The hose 34 is readily inserted into clamped position between the rollers 98 and 112 by manipulation of the handle 134 for shifting the plate 124 which controls the position of the spring 120. The operation of engaging and disengaging the hose between the rollers is performed simply and quickly, as will be evident.

The swivel mounting of the feet 148 is of particular importance from the standpoint of the maneuverability of the device which is afiorded thereby. parent that the swiveling action will occur on a short radius and this will permit the device to shift to follow sharp bends in the hose 34. Furthermore, in the event the hose is positioned in a predetermined path by the use'of pegs or the like, such pegs will not interfere with the ground-engaging support for the sprinkler and there is no possibility that the device will be tilted or upset as it reaches a point in engagement with a peg. In actual practice the peg will engage one or the other of the rollers 93 and 112 but, by virtue of the fact that these rollers rotate, the engagement of the peg by the rollers will not interfere with the proper operation of the device. ln suchinstances the rollers will serve to laterally urge the hose away from the peg sothat the unit may.

pass the peg, for which purpose the swivel mounting of the feet 148 is of particular advantage and importance since it enables sharp turns in the movement of the sprinkler to occur. I

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has It will be apbeen illustrated and described herein, it will be understood that changes in the construction may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

We claim:

1. A travelling lawn sprinkler comprising a housing adapted to be connected to a flexible water conduit, a water reactance sprinkler unit rotatably mounted by said housing and rotatable drive members actuated by said unit and including a pair of rotatable members gripping said conduit therebetween to propel said housing.

2. A traveling lawn sprinkler comprising a housing adapted to be connected to a flexible water conduit, a water reactance sprinkler unit rotatably mounted by said housing, rotatable drive members actuated by said unit and adapted for frictional driving engagement with said conduit to propel said housing, and means for locking said drive members in conduit-gripping relation.

3. A traveling lawn sprinkler comprising a housing adapted to be connected to a flexible water conduit, a water reactance sprinkler unit rotatably mounted by said housing, rotatable drive members actuated by said unit and including a pair of rotatable conduit-clamping rollers having frictional driving engagement with said conduit to propel said housing, and a plurality of spaced ground-engaging supports swiveled to said housing.

4. In a traveling lawn sprinkler, a housing adapted to be connected to a flexible conduit, a water reactance sprinkler unit rotatably mounted by said housing, propulsion means driven by said unit and including a pair of driven rolls gripping said conduit, and a plurality of spaced ground-engaging supports swiveled to said housing about vertical axes, the point of engagement of each support with the ground being spaced laterally from its swivel axis.

5. The construction defined in claim 4, wherein said supports constitute rigid elongated curved foot members each adapted for tangential engagement with the ground.

6. The construction defined in claim 4, wherein each support constitutes an elongated rigid foot member having an upright swivel portion at its upper end and a curved lower ground-engaging portion laterally off-set from said swivel portion.

7. In a traveling lawn sprinkler, a housing adapted to be connected to a flexible conduit, a water reactance sprinkler unit rotatably mounted by said housing, a pair of rotatable members projecting from said housing and driven by said unit, a friction roller carried by each memher, one of said members including a shiftable portion, and means for locking said members in predetermined relation for opposed frictional engagement of said rollers with said conduit.

8. In a traveling lawn sprinkler, a housing adapted to be connected to a flexible conduit, a water reactance sprinkler unit rotatably mounted by said housing, a pair of rotatable members projecting from said housing and driven by said unit, a friction roller carried by each member, one of said members including a shiftable portion, means for locking said members in predetermined relation for opposed frictional engagement of said rollers with said conduit, and a guide carried by said housing and engaging said shiftable portion.

9. The construction defined in claim 7, wherein the rotatable member which includes said shiftable portion constitutes two shafts and a universal joint connecting said shafts.

10. The construction defined in claim 7, wherein said locking means constitutes a spring carried by said housing and engaging said shiftable portion and an adjustable spring positioning member.

11. In a traveling lawn sprinkler, a housing adapted to be connected to a flexible conduit, ground-engaging members adapted to support said housing in elevated position, a water reactance sprinkler unit rotatably carried by said housing, a pair of drive members actuated by said unit and each including a part depending from said housing,

one of said parts being shiftable in a predetermined path, friction rollers carried by said depending parts and adapted for frictional clamped driving engagement with said conduit, and means for locking said parts in driving position.

12. In a traveling lawn sprinkler, a housing adapted to be connected to a flexible conduit, ground-engaging members adapted to support said housing in elevated position, a water reactance sprinkler unit rotatably carried by said housing, a pair of drive members actuated by said unit and each including a part depending from said housing, one of said parts being shiftable in a predetermined path, friction rollers carried by said depending parts and adapted for frictional clamped driving engagement with said conduit, and means for locking said parts in driving position, said locking means including a spring engaging said shiftable part.

13. In a traveling lawn sprinkler, a housing adapted to be connected to a flexible conduit, ground-engaging members adapted to support said housing in elevated position, a water reactance sprinkler unit rotatably carried by said housing, a pair of drive members actuated by said unit and each including a part depending from said housing, one of said parts being shiftable in a predetermined path, friction rollers carried by said depending parts and adapted for frictional clamped driving engagement with said conduit, and means for locking said parts in driving position, said locking means including a leaf spring depending from said housing and engaging said shiftable part and adjustable means for positioning said spring.

14. In a traveling lawn sprinkler, a housing adapted to be connected to a flexible conduit, ground-engaging members adapted to support said housing in elevated position, a water reactance sprinkler unit rotatably carried by said housing, a pair of drive members actuated by said unit and each including a part depending from said housing, one of said parts being shiftable in a predetermined path, friction rollers carried by said depending parts and adapted for frictional clamped. driving engagement with said conduit, means for locking said parts in driving position, said locking means including a leaf spring depending from said housing and engaging said shiftable part, a transverse spring positioning member, and a cam for positioning said last named member.

15. In a traveling lawn sprinkler, a housing adapted to be connected to a flexible conduit, ground-engaging members adapted to support said housing in elevated position, a water reactance sprinkler unit rotatably carried by said housing, a pair of drive members actuated by said unit and each including a part depending from said housing, one of said parts being shiftable in a predetermined path, friction rollers carried by said depending parts and adapted for frictional clamped driving engagement with said conduit, means for locking said parts in driving position, said locking means including a leaf spring depending from said housing and engaging said shiftable part, a substantially horizontally shiftable member engaging said spring intermediate the ends of said spring, and a cam rotatable about the other depending part for positioning said shiftable member.

16. In a traveling lawn sprinkler, a housing including spaced upper and lower parts arranged in confronting relation, said lower part having a liquid passage terminating at its upper face, said upper part having a cavity and upper and lower apertures in vertical alignment with said terminal passage, a tube journaled in said apertures and bearing against the upper face of said lower housing part, and a bearing sleeve fitting in said apertures and encircling a portion of said tube and having an aperture therein at a part thereof spaced below said upper housing part, said tube having an external circumferential groove registering with said sleeve apertures.

17. The construction defined in claim 16, wherein the upper face of said lower housing part has a recess concentric with the terminal portion of said passage, said tube seating in said recess, and a second bearing sleeve fitting snugly insaid recess at its lower end and abutting the'lower end of said first sleeve.

18. The construction defined in claim 16, wherein said tube has a reduced diameter outer portion defining a circumferential shoulder Within the upper housing part, a retainer carried by said housing, and a thrust bearing encirclingv the reduced portion of said tube and bearing against said shoulder and the bearing sleeve at its lower end, and against said retainer at its upper end.

19. A sprinkler of the rotary reaction type having nozzles revolving about a vertical axis comprising a support for rotatably supporting said nozzles, a pair of rotatable members associated with said support adapted to receive a Water supply conduit therebetween, means for biasing said rotatable members to grip said conduit, and means responsive to rotation of said nozzles for rotating said members to cause said sprinkler to propel itself along said conduit by traction with said conduit.

20. In a self-propelling lawn sprinkler, a movable carriage, a motor associated with saidcarriage and. rotatable in response to the conversion of water under pressure suppliedthereto through a hose or the like to mechanical 'motion, means for supporting said carriage, a pair of spaced vertical shafts supported, by said carriage and drivingly connected to said water motor, a pair of friction drive rollers one connected to each, of said shafts adapted to receive therebetween said hose, means for biasing said rollers into frictional engagement with a hose disposed ,therebetween whereby said sprinkler is pulled along said hose in response'to operation of said motor, and water distributing means. on said carriage for sprinkling an area surrounding said carriage when water under pressure is supplied to said water distributing means.

21. For use in aself-propelling lawn sprinkler of the type comprising a movable carriage and a water motor associated therewith and rotatable in response to. the conversion of water under pressure supplied thereto through a hose or the like to mechanical motion, the combination of a pair of spaced vertical shafts capable of being drivingly connected to said water motor, 'and a pair of friction drive rollers one connected to each of said shafts for receiving therebetween said hose, said rollers and associated shafts being movable apart when it is desired to insert said hose between said rollers.

22. A traveling lawn sprinkler comprising a housing adapted to be connected to a flexible water conduit, a water reactance sprinkler unit rotatably mounted by said housing, rotatable drivernembers actuated by saidunit and including a pair of rotatable conduit-clamping rollers having frictional driving engagement with said conduit to propelsaid housing, and a plurality of spaced groundengaging supports connected to said housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 484,294 Carlson Oct. 11, 1892 1,171,068 Schienke Feb. 8, 1916 1,919,703 Nielsen July 25, 1933 2,122,079 Wilson June 28, 1938 2,228,428 Wilson Ian. 14, 1941 2,249,211 Johnson July 15, 1941 

